At its core, WebSocket is a protocol for two-way communication between a client and a server. It enables real-time communication and eliminates the need for traditional HTTP requests and responses. With its low latency and high throughput, WebSocket is becoming increasingly popular for building real-time web applications.
In this article, we will walk you through setting up a WebSocket server in Node.js and creating a simple example app to demonstrate its capabilities.
Before we begin, there are a few prerequisites you will need:
First, we need to create a WebSocket server. We will use the ws library, which is a popular and easy-to-use WebSocket library for Node.js.
To get started, create a new Node.js project and install the ws library using the following command:
npm install ws
Next, create a new file called server.js and add the following code:
const WebSocket = require('ws');
const wss = new WebSocket.Server({ port: 8080 });
wss.on('connection', function connection(ws) {
ws.on('message', function incoming(message) {
console.log('received: %s', message);
});
ws.send('Hello, welcome to the WebSocket server!');
});
Let’s break down this code:
That’s it! We have successfully created a WebSocket server.
Now, let’s create a WebSocket client to connect to our server. We will use the WebSocket object, which is built into modern web browsers.
Create a new file called client.html and add the following code:
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="utf-8">
<title>WebSocket Client</title>
</head>
<body>
<div id="messages"></div>
<form>
<input type="text" id="message">
<button type="submit">Send</button>
</form>
<script>
const ws = new WebSocket('ws://localhost:8080');
ws.onmessage = function(event) {
const messages = document.getElementById('messages');
messages.innerHTML += '<p>' + event.data + '</p>';
};
const form = document.querySelector('form');
form.addEventListener('submit', function(event) {
event.preventDefault();
const input = document.getElementById('message');
ws.send(input.value);
input.value = '';
});
</script>
</body>
</html>
Let’s break down this code:
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In summary, acquiring the skills to set up a WebSocket server in Node.js can be a daunting task. However, this skill is highly valuable for any web developer. This article provides a comprehensive guide on how to create a WebSocket server with the help of an example app, ensuring that you have all the necessary resources at your fingertips.
We hope this article has been informative and beneficial to you. If you have any queries or feedback, please don’t hesitate to contact us. Thank you for reading!
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